Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Fanny Walked the Earth

(Blue Elan) I love Fanny. On the one hand, almost every one of my rock n roll crushes has been a lesbian, so when I say I have loved June Millington since I was a kid, I mean that in a goo goo eyes, heart-a-flutter, mesmerized by her rockin' badass-ness and stunning beauty way. But I loved her band more: Fanny, the killer early 70s group with her sister Jean, featuring June's blues/rock guitar slaying, great songwriting, and fantastic chemistry, made four devastating records in a row from 1970-74. Their best song was the glammed up "Charity Ball," but they had a pretty diverse catalogue. After Fanny failed to become the Classic Rock Superheroes they deserved to be, the Millingtons were key figures in the Women's Music Movement, that culminated in the Olivia Records/Michigan Womyns Fest scenes, which certainly was influential and extremely positive for countless people who needed what the Millingtons were making happen. But there's still a sense that they were robbed of Dr. Hookin' their way to the cover of a certain magazine. This argument is held up by the their new record, with old school Fanny drummer Brie Brandt, and even a guest vocal by June's replacement in latter day Fanny, Patti "Pleasure Seekers" Quatro. At it's best this album makes it clear that if the industry gave them their due Millington could have had a Tom Petty-like career, crafting catchy, solid classic rock for decades. There's a few less muscular flower power peace and love moments on here (which are nice), and their nostalgic recap of their garage rock days, "Girls on the Road," kinda sounds like the theme for a Disney Channel show about a teen rock band (except for that guitar solo that renders the garage's brick walls a pile of rubble). But when they are deliver the purest rock n roll, like on the spooky "Storm-Crossed," or the punchy "Lured Away," they are (Charity) balls to the wall, and as Fanny-tastic as ever. I am so glad this record exists.